A Kinkajou's Epiphany

I'm sure animals have them too, in the sense of epiphany being a sudden insight!


To most Christians (really, I didn't know January 6th was a day to commemorate Jesus' visit by the Magi or the Wise Men until my early twenties, but they did not visit him at the stable -- please see the second chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew for more on that) today is not exactly a big celebration, but neither is Three Kings Day or Epiphany lightly regarded. Or should it be, for even the wisest (read "smartest") of us need God to guide us into becoming wise. In a story I wrote for National Novel Writing Month a few years ago I put Jesus at toddler age by the time the Wise Men visited him, so he'd be just under the two-year-old decree Herod made for kids to kill in Bethlehem ...


Of Kinkajous, Capybaras, Horned Beetles, Seladangs, And the oddest and most wonderful Mammals, Insects, Birds, and Plants of our world is the full title of the book I finished last night. I couldn't get to sleep, go figure. Jeanne K. Hanson and Deane Morrison's 1991 work illustrated by Glenn Wolff (ISBN 0060164646) does tell you a lot about many animals and plants you likely have seen and not seen, but it's bracketed by Greenpeace's (or what sounds like Greenpeace's) save-the-planet-wipe-out-the-humans mantra. For conversational purposes, we can refer to this book as Of Kinkajous, Capybaras, Horned Beetles, Seladangs. It's pretty neat.


Just so you know, kinkajous are in the raccoon family and the only New World carnivores with prehensile tails. Feel free to look up the rest (which I couldn't do just now with the index it lacks; dang it, I'm with Bernard Shaw on this one -- whoever writes a book without an index ought to be shot! Though the table of contents is comprehensive). And today's the third day in a row I've realized the bitter irony in "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" line "and Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again!" YES you want to spend as much time with your kids as you can while they're growing up ... but YES you also want them out of the house!


Last night after work I met the Cub Scouts in my group (minus Jeffrey, Martha was on her way there with him -- I am so grateful she's taken Tuesday off job #2 now to help with that) at Christ Lutheran across from Longfellow and we reviewed the requirements for the next belt loop they have to earn (that I must place the order for next week) as well as making sure they remember the Pinewood Derby at the end of the month. The cars have to weigh an exact amount -- no more no less -- and for our requirements we may get in a special trip to our local zoo. Then the boys had a game to play, and we headed out.


We're all going to do great this year, perhaps despite me!


David